


Winter Holiday

by Fabrisse



Series: Rebuilding the Table [29]
Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Family, Gifts, KWFF2015, M/M, Skiing, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 11:06:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5331923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabrisse/pseuds/Fabrisse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When it's discovered Eggsy doesn't know how to ski, they plan a family trip to teach him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winter Holiday

**Author's Note:**

> This didn't quite fit into "Family and Friends," but it deals with family and friends and takes place toward the end of the existing story.
> 
> Also, I'm still bad at titles.

Arthur had nearly dropped his glass when Beaumains said no. "May I ask why my only agent who speaks Russian and the local Turkic dialect would turn down an essential assignment?"

Beaumains looked around the table. None of the other knights looked happy. Merlin was standing by the screen blinking at him in disbelief. "Merlin said at least half the man's suspected meetings were on the ski slopes, an' most o' them were black diamond runs, right?" There were general nods. "Never been on skis in me life." 

"Oh, for Christ's sake," Arthur said. "Really?"

"You tell me where a kid from the estates could go to learn to ski, Arthur, an' I'll apologize for not knowin' how."

Arthur shook his head. "Of course not. It just… you're so athletic; I don't think it occurred to anyone that you might not be able to ski."

Beaumains said, "If it were a honey trap, I could be on the kiddie slope and bat my eyes at him for private lessons, but, from everything presented, not only is he not that way inclined, it's an approach he specifically guards against."

Arthur said, "Yes. Merlin, I need you to ask Vivienne and her intelligence boffins to find out how Denis Ivanovich spends his springs and summers. We'll keep close tabs on him until there's a way Beaumains can approach him without causing alarms."

"Yes, sir," Merlin said quietly. "We might be able to get one of our low level Russian analysts in to his organization, but…"

"But his background checks are too thorough and his tendency to think of himself as a descendent of the tsars creates problems for anyone who can't present himself at the level of an agent at the table. I know." Arthur contemplated his lunch thoughtfully. "Up the electronic surveillance as much as we can without compromising anyone and prepare an entrance for Beaumains at the first possible moment. Oh, and for god's sake, both of you take some time off and teach your husband how to ski."

Merlin's lips twitched. "Yes, sir."

"My apologies, Beaumains, for not considering this and getting you trained before now. Please follow the intelligence on this case, in the event we need to send you in before Merlin finds a particularly good time."

"Yes, Arthur."

Arthur asked, "Any other business?" He glanced at the people and holograms around the table before saying, "In that case, our next meeting is in two weeks on the same date and at the same time."

The holograms began to disappear from their respective chairs, leaving Arthur, Lancelot, Beaumains, and Merlin in the room. Arthur said, "I'll ring for dessert, shall I?" and motioned Merlin back to a seat at the table.

***  
It took them a week to decide both where and when to go. The other questions were more difficult.

"Mam has to know. She loves Daisy and accepts you."

"Accepts, yeah, but she still doesn't like me much."

They were wrapped up in each other on the sofa sipping single malts. 

Daisy ran in and threw herself on the sofa between them. "Grandmam? Is she coming to visit?" She squirmed to get comfortable shifting her attention between them.

"We were just talking about a little vacation we were going to take before the end of your break, our Daisy," Eggsy said.

Merlin added, "We thought we might invite Grandmam and let Elaine see her family. You'd have to be very good. Mam isn't as strong as Elaine and can't go chasing after you."

"I'd be good. I like Grandmam. She's lovely."

Both of them chuckled, and Merlin said, "Lovely?"

"Auntie Roxy said it was the right thing to call people you liked."

Eggsy kissed her head. "Roxy knows her stuff, little flower."

"Will she be coming along, too?"

They glanced between themselves and Merlin said, "Not this time. We're going to teach your brother how to ski and at the moment Roxy can't participate."

She looked sad for a moment and then said, "But I get to see Grandmam?"

Merlin raised an eyebrow in Eggsy's direction. Eggsy said, "We'll ask if she can come. It's up to her, my little love."

"Okay." She turned to Merlin. "Will you both tuck me in tonight?"

"I think that can be arranged."

***  
They'd met Mrs. McKnight at the gate at Gatwick before driving into London City Airport. The plane there was a small one which could hold a dozen people, but had been laid out for six comfortably and their luggage. Eggsy took the co-pilot's seat, next to the plane's regular pilot, and they ran through the pre-flight check list.

"What are they gabbling," Mrs. McKnight said.

Daisy said, "Sounds like Swedish, Grandmam."

"Swedish?"

Daisy nodded emphatically. "I understand a little bit of the Turkish Eggsy speaks and Russian sounds different. I know it's not French or German, so it must be Swedish."

"Very well reasoned," Merlin said. "And you're right, it _is_ Swedish. We're going to a small town in Sweden with very good skiing and winter sports."

"Am I going to learn how to ski?"

"Would you like to?"

Daisy said, "I'd rather learn to ice skate."

Merlin said, "Fair enough. There's an ice skating arena in the town. We can certainly spend some time doing that."

"Do you know how to ski, Daddy?"

"Yes. That's why I want your brother to learn, so we can do it together."

"What about Auntie Roxy?"

"She does ski, but it's not a good thing to do while she's pregnant."

Daisy said, "Okay," and looked out the window. "Ocean!"

"The North Sea. We'll be in Sweden in an hour."

Daisy nodded and continued to stare out the window.

Mrs. McKnight moved to sit across from her son. "She didn't mention a husband for Roxy," she said quietly.

"No. Roxy is having a baby brother for Daisy."

Her eyebrows went up to her hairline. "Are you telling me that boy of yours got her in the family way?"

Merlin's jaw dropped. "Mam? How could you think that?"

"Well, how else? Why else? I knew he wasn't good enough for you."

"No, Mam, you didn't. You didn't even know I preferred men until you met Eggsy."

She sniffed. "So this Roxy gets herself in trouble and you pull her out of it?"

"Mam, Eggsy and I were going to talk to you about this tonight after Daisy's gone to bed. Can it wait until then?"

She opened her mouth to say something and saw Daisy watching them as closely as she had been watching the scenery just a minute or two earlier. She glared at her son for a moment and said, "Of course, Hamish."

The rest of the flight was silent other than the conversation between the pilot and Eggsy. When they landed at an airstrip near Funasdalen, there was a car waiting for them and they were at the cabin provided by their hotel very quickly. Merlin found a room with bunkbeds and put Daisy's bags in there. There was a cozy room with a queen sized bed on the ground floor as well where he put his mother's bags, and the master bedroom was upstairs with its own bathroom and sauna where Eggsy took their bags. 

"We going up to the main hotel for dinner tonight?" Eggsy asked.

"We can. Mam?"

"I'm sure it will be fine, Hamish."

"Fine, I'll call for a reservation."

Eggsy wandered into the kitchen. "We can certainly breakfast here in the morning." He came out of the kitchen with a note. "It's from Tilde. There's all sorts of treats in a basket, bread in the box, and food to cook in the fridge. She writes that she also provided all our linens, just in case we forgot and all four of us are invited to dinner and to stay with her in Stockholm on Saturday night." He queried Merlin with his eyes and got a short nod yes. He pulled out his phone and texted her their acceptance.

"Why is it so dark?" 

"We're not too far from the arctic circle, my Daisy. We're seven degrees farther north than where your grandmam lives."

Daisy thought for a moment, then asked, "Does that mean it will get more sunshine in the summer, too?"

"It does, indeed."

***  
They'd gotten their snow legs enough to make it down the hill to the main lodge for supper and back. Daisy couldn't wait to see the snow when it was all shiny, as she put it. Merlin had arranged for Daisy and Eggsy to have their first lesson together the next day. Eggsy would have a second private lesson in the afternoon while Merlin got his chance to get used to skiing again.

Once Daisy was sound asleep, Eggsy said, "Tilde has some akvavit in the freezer if anyone would like."

"For me, _mo chridhe_. Mam?"

"I'll have a cup of tea, if such a thing's available..."

"Just us, Eggy," Merlin said.

Eggsy brought out the bottle and glasses and said, "Tea'll just be a minute, Mrs. McKnight."

Once he'd brought out the tea tray, he sat beside Merlin.

"You might as well call me Morag, Eggsy."

He assessed her and said, "If you're sure?"

"Aye."

"Thank you, Morag."

She turned to her son. "Now what's all this about some … woman named Roxy and her babe?"

After a long pause, Eggsy said, "It's your story to tell, Merlin."

"Lady Roxanne Morton is a friend and a colleague of ours. We'd hoped you'd meet her the last time you visited, but she was in Paris doing some buying for the shop."

"Lady Roxanne. No better than she should be, in spite of a title."

Eggsy poured the akvavit for both of them and they both knocked it back.

"And you shouldn't be drinking. It sets a bad example for young Daisy."

Eggsy turned away, much to Merlin's surprise.

"Mam. We're grown men. Anyway, Roxy doesn't think she'll be a good mother, but she wanted to have a child. It was done through artificial means."

"So you're the father," she said to Eggsy.

"No, Mam, I am. He'll be your grandson biologically as well as by law."

She leaned back in her chair and said, "Truly, Hamish?"

"Aye, mam. We already know it's a boy. Haven't come up with names or anything, but we know."

She blinked tears away and said, "So what's akvavit when it's at home?"

Eggsy said, "Like whisky, the term means 'water of life.' It's younger than whisky and flavored with caraway or dill. This is caraway."

"May I have a glass?"

Eggsy ran to the kitchen to get one, and poured out about half what he and Merlin had drunk. "It's not intended to be sipped, and it's very strong."

She nodded and knocked it back, choking a little on the alcohol burn. Merlin's eyes went wide, and Eggsy managed not to giggle.

"Thank you, Eggsy. Don't see the appeal."

"No reason you should, Morag."

She clasped her son's hand. "I don't pretend to understand all of this, but I see how you're doing your best for Daisy. And I can't deny that your Eggsy loves you and you him."

"Thank you, Mam."

"I think I'll go to bed now. Have a good night, the both of you."

"Good night to you, too, Morag. There's a nightlight in the hall and one in the bathroom on this floor, in case you get up in the night."

She nodded her farewell and headed to her room.

Merlin kissed his husband's cheek and said, "Why don't we retire, too. I can guarantee you, Daisy will be up early. What's for breakfast, by the way?"

"Tilde left us a nice coffee cake and there's eggs if we want, too. And fish roe, but I'm not certain how your Mam or Daisy will like that."

Merlin said, "It's good if they don't. More for me."

***  
"Aah," Eggsy said as he lay down in the sauna. "Don't think I've ached so much since me first day of Marine training."

Merlin smiled from his bench and said, "Different muscle use. I always ache the first day or two of skiing. Sleep well, though. Something about the cold fresh air, the tired muscles, and the warm bed just knock me out."

Eggsy said, "Y'know usually I'd tease you 'bout somethin' like that. Tonight, I'm just going to take an aspirin for the aches see if I sleep the night away."

"If you do wake up, wake me. I'm too tired for anything right now, but then?"

"A nice warm fuck might be just the thing?"

"It might at that." Merlin said, "C'mon, out, cold shower, drink some water, and back in for one more round before bed time."

"Yes, sir." Eggsy followed instructions and switched benches when he came back in. "Is Daisy havin' another lesson with me in the mornin'?"

"No, I've put her with the children's group. The lesson is shorter. I'll watch them. I promised to take her into town to see about ice skating before lunch, too."

"So I got two more lessons tomorrow and more sauna in the evening."

"Yes, _mo chridhe_. Third day, your teacher and I will take you up to some more difficult runs, not black diamond, but definitely runs where you'll want someone more experienced nearby. If he says that you're ready, it will just be the two of us for the rest of the week."

"Maybe I can take our girl ice skating one day, too?"

"Mmmhm. And it wouldn't hurt for you to learn some basic cross country, too."

Eggsy groaned. "I'm never lookin' at a James Bond movie the same way again."

Merlin laughed and said, "It's definitely time for bed."

***  
Fresh snow was falling quietly when they got to Stockholm on Saturday. Daisy clapped in delight at all the snow in the palace gardens and went out to join a group of children from the staff's families in building snowmen. Tilde greeted Eggsy and Merlin with big kisses and cooed over Daisy. She was very polite with Mrs. McKnight. 

Prince Floris' greeting was a little less effusive, especially since he didn't know Merlin that well, but he took it in good humor when Daisy he asked him if he was a real prince like in the fairy stories and treated Merlin's mother with exact politeness.

At dinner, which was held in one of the informal dining rooms, Tilde said, "There will be an announcement in the paper tomorrow. Floris and I will have a little one of our own sometime in July or August."

Eggsy clasped her hand and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. "I'm so happy for you."

Floris poured out glasses of akvavit for the men, and they toasted Tilde. 

"I take it you were waiting to be certain, uh…"

"Please Mrs. McKnight, it is just Tilde when we're _en famille_. Your son and his husband saved my life, or at least my sanity, so they are very much family."

"Then I'm Morag, Tilde. You were waiting until the first trimester was complete, I take it?"

"Yes, Morag, the doctors aren't certain whether I'm twelve or fourteen weeks along, but either way, I'm at a point where it feels safe to say it."

"Will I get to meet your baby?" Daisy asked. "I'll have a little brother by then, so I'll know how to take care of them."

Tilde smiled widely. "I will invite you all to the formal christening. I'm certain there will be a chance to hold the baby then."

Daisy beamed at everyone.

Morag took Daisy to bed about an hour later and kissed Tilde and Floris good night as well as her fathers. 

Floris said, "We can't thank you enough."

"I'd say you did just fine thankin' us," Eggsy said. "Or is that a preliminary to more documents needin' signin'?"

"No, Eggsy. It's the sound of relief for the throne and the nation and two very happy parents to be," said Tilde.

The four of them chatted until nearly midnight. When Eggsy and Merlin got to their room, Eggsy closed the door quietly and pinned his husband to the wall, claiming his mouth in a searing kiss. "Can I have this tonight? Have you, my lover?"

"Always, Eggsy. Always, my loving husband."

They kissed and stripped their way to the big bed in the middle of the room. Eggsy pushed Merlin back on the bed and stripped back the eiderdown so they could snuggle underneath it. He dragged his lips and fingertips slowly over Merlin's skin, never letting him get chilled, but making him shiver all the same. He spoke quiet words of love between the kisses as he prepared his husband and hushed them both as he entered him. 

Merlin kept his voice soft, but matched Eggsy passion for passion, wrapping his legs around his waist and holding him close enough to inhale his scent and feel his sweat helping the slide between them. Merlin shattered first, arching and whimpering as his release flooded between them. 

Eggsy thrust a few more times before spilling buried deeply inside his lover.

Later, after they'd cleaned up and clung to each other before sleep, Merlin said, "Any regrets, _mo chridhe_?"

Eggsy propped himself on his elbow and looked Merlin directly in the eye. "Not a one, beautiful man, not a one."

***  
The flight back to London had a much better atmosphere than the flight to Sweden had. Merlin sat in the co-pilot seat this time and listened to his family chatting in the back of the plane.

"So when is this Roxy of yours due?" he heard his Mam say.

"'Bout another month, maybe as late as March 1."

"So soon? She's still working?"

"Doctor didn't order bed rest or anythin'. Think she's saving the maternity leave for after the bairn's here. She should be moved into the basement flat by the time we get back. That way there'll always be someone close by."

"That's good. It's good that you're looking after her well."

***  
A week after they got back from their skiing holiday, a package arrived from Glasgow. Inside were five pair of tiny booties in various colors, a yellow hat, and a tiny blanket in the softest green wool Eggsy'd ever felt. The note read, "I'm already working on the next size up. Would Salter blue be all right? -- Love, Morag."


End file.
